Reason: Filthy conditions throughout the premise. Dishwasher did not provide adequate sanitizer.

The Storm Restaurant and Catering

300 Memorial Blvd

Date: Closed March 13. Reopened March 14.

Reason: Dishwasher could not provide an adequate amount of chlorine to sanitize dishes.

Wok House

3727 Portage Ave.

Date: Closed March 26.

Reason: Failure to maintain establishment in a sanitary condition.

Hong Kong Restaurant

85 Main St., Flin Flon

Date: Closed April 1.

Reason: Facility is not designed, operated or maintained in accordance with Manitoba regulations and the permit was not renewed.

River Osborne Community Centre

101 Pembina Hwy

Date: Closed April 2.

Reason: Mechanical dishwasher wasn't capable of sanitizing.

-- Health protection reports, Manitoba Health, as of April 10

Manitoba has seen an increase in the number of restaurants temporarily closed for health-code violations.

Provincial health officials temporarily shut down eight food-service establishments between January and April 10 -- up from three closures during the same time period last year, health-protection reports posted online show.

Another seven restaurants were subject to convictions and fines for health-code offences since January for things such as failing to cook food to a safe internal temperature.

Inspectors temporarily close restaurants when they find critical offences and determine the public could be in danger.

Provincial officials were unavailable to be interviewed Wednesday, but a Manitoba Health spokeswoman said in an email the increase in closings is not significant when compared to the total number of restaurants. There are about 9,000 food establishments that are inspected by provincial public-health inspectors.

"These types of fluctuations have been observed in the past," the email statement said.

Before April 2012, city and provincial health inspectors shared inspection duties in Winnipeg. City staff policed eateries, swimming pools and tattoo parlours within Winnipeg's pre-1972 boundaries while the province handled inspections in the suburbs and rural Manitoba.

Last spring, the province took over responsibility of inspections in Winnipeg. The province also started to publicly release information on health-code violations.

Previously, only city-inspected eateries in violation of health regulations had their names published.

Between January and April 10, online reports show inspectors temporarily shut down two hot tubs and one pool -- the semi-public whirlpool at Club Regent Casino, the whirlpool at the Wellington Arms apartment block and the pool at the Brandon Squash and Athletics Centre. All have since reopened.

Like restaurants, inspectors only close pools or whirlpools in instances in which they worry it could pose a danger or make someone sick. An inspector must verify the problem has been resolved before the restaurant can be reopened.

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